The car on the left is believed to be the vehicle used by the suspect in several home invasions in four counties. (Photos provided by the Michigan State Police)

A man suspected of stealing from bereaved families may have targeted a widow who was at her husband’s funeral in Orion Township over the weekend, said Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies.

“This suspect was picking out victims during the most vulnerable time in their life — that’s low,” said Lt. Dan Toth, commander of the Sheriff’s Orion substation.

Investigators in Oakland, Washtenaw, Livingston and Monroe counties are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man they believe is connected to a string of similar home invasions in the past month.

The unknown man, who has been captured in surveillance camera footage, has been searching local obituaries to find his targets, police said, breaking in while a family member is attending funeral services.

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A witness saw the suspect — a black man wearing a unique red coat with patterns on it — standing in the driveway of a woman’s home Feb. 15 in the 1000 block of Cottonwood, near M-24 and Silver Bell Road, before it was burglarized, deputies said.

Around a dozen pieces of jewelry, including rings and necklaces, were taken from the woman’s home. While Sheriff’s deputies, investigators in other counties and the Michigan State Police continue to investigate the string of home invasions, they’re investigating whether there were other suspects and if the suspect used rental cars as getaway vehicles.

The suspect was caught on an ATM camera in Ypsilanti and at a Target store. Police describe the suspect as a black male who is between 20 and 30 years old and has facial hair.

The photos also show that he was driving a silver, four-door car believed to be a Pontiac Grand Prix, state police said.

These particular types of break-ins are not new.

“They happen periodically ... it’s terrible, preying on widow’s homes. But that’s the world we live in,” said Toth. “It’s a good neighborhood watch tip to keep an eye on a neighbor’s house if they lose a member of their immediate family and are away attending services.”

In early 2013, Todd Lloyd Griffin, 44, of Pontiac, was suspected of at least 16 home invasions in Oakland County and four other counties employing the same method. He is scheduled to appear before Oakland Circuit Judge Denise Langford Morris’ courtroom March 20 on charges related to those cases.

Anyone who can help police identify the suspect in this recent string of home invasions is asked to call the Washtenaw Sheriff’s Office tip line at 734-973-7711, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office at 248-858-4954 or anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAKUP.